Decades after their 1989 North London genesis, indie rock veterans The Sway have resurfaced to deliver "The Grief (Remix by Harry Kook)", a dizzying, noise-soaked sprint through sheer emotional collapse. Back in the early 90s, they gathered steady traction before stepping away into a long hiatus. Now reunited in their original configuration David Casson, Jim Kook, Sean Kelly, and Paul Hogan they sound fiercely...

Sam Ostler’s new single, “Lights,” then. It unfolds less like a sudden, intrusive glare and more like the slow, determined burn of a really good stage light finally finding its mark after a prolonged blackout. It’s pop, yes, vibrant and undeniably contemporary as advertised – clean lines, clear intentions. Yet, there’s a certain satisfying heft beneath the melodic uplift, a feeling that these notes...